The
scourge of the “head shops” has been dampened by the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010 but more new drugs
have been invented to replace them. These new harmful substances are still
legally available over the counter. As
work is soon about to commence on the
next town development plan 2015-2021, l have put a motion to the town
council to ban “head shops” in the
forthcoming documentation of the plan .
Last year, a new drug was discovered on average every six days (European
Drug Monitoring Centre figures). The untested drugs can be bought very easily
from high street headshops.
There is no definition of “head shops” given in the
planning legislation.
A “Head shop” is considered to be a retail outlet. A
person wishing to establish a “head shop” in a existing retail outlet does not
require planning permission and the planning authority has no powers of
intervention in such a case.
The next town development plan 2015-2021 could include a ban on the
establishment of “head shops” in the town. However there is no legal definition
of a “head shop” so this ban would be easily circumvented by giving the unit a
different title. It could for instance be a clothes shop that
also sells legal high.
Cllr Tom Doherty stated, Let them challenge it at board plannala level and let them tell us
about the harmful product they are selling.
I proposed that we also write to the environment minister
to change the legislation of the planning act to give a clear definition of a”
head shop”. When the term head shops
are defined in the legislation, it will give Killarney town council a stronger footing to ban all
head shops in all parts of the town no matter what the zoning is.”
tomkillarney@yahoo.ie 087 2942260
